Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan was in a hurry to get to the post-match press conference after the hosts won their first bilateral T20I series against Afghanistan by beating the visitors by six wickets in the second T20I.
Al Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, and Rashid Khan had to catch a chartered flight from Sylhet to Dhaka later that night.
But even though they were in a hurry, Shakib didn’t forget to say that it was a relief for him that they were able to beat a good Afghan team that was the clear favorite before the game.
“It’s good to see that the things we’ve been working on are working. There is nothing better than when our plan works out and the players do what they were supposed to do. It feels good because up until now, we hadn’t done well against them in T20s. Since we were able to win the series, especially in these conditions, it will give us hope for the days ahead,” said Shakib, who was named player of the series because he led the team from the front.
Bangladesh looked like a whole different team in the smallest format, and Shakib led them to their third straight T20I series win.
Towhid Hridoy and Shamim Hossain have given the T20 format energy and variety, and Shakib says that they will face different tasks in different situations.
“Towhid Hridoy and the others have been with the team for a long time, and players are always joining and leaving. We still have a lot of work to do to find the best mix, but based on where we are now, I think we are headed in the right direction. But there will be new problems in new situations, and we’ll have to adapt,” Shakib said.
Under Shakib’s leadership as captain, Bangladesh came up with the idea of giving each player a different job, which has paid off in the last year or so. As part of this plan, Afif Hossain was seen starting the game yesterday with Liton.
“It’s good to have options in the team, especially in T20s where the number seven hitter may have to do the same job as the starter. If a starter hits one way until the 15th over, he would have to change his style for the last five overs. So, if everyone can adapt to different situations, it won’t be hard for pitchers to deal when a new and more tough situation comes along. “The same goes for the bowlers,” said Shakib.
Even though the Tigers lost the three-match ODI series 2-1, Shakib said that the faith they gained from winning the T20I series against Afghanistan will help them in the future Asia Cup and World Cup.
“Look, most of the ODI players are here, and many T20 players will also play ODIs in the future, so they can use this experience. Afghanistan is a team we will play in both the Asia Cup and the World Cup, so if we can keep this trust, it will be good for us,” Shakib said.
The champion all-rounder also talked about how the pacers and spinners on the team are competing with each other in a good way, which will help the players improve in the coming days.